§ Mr. Snapeasked the Secretary of State for Transport how many prosecutions have taken place involving the falsification of tachograph records since their use became compulsory; where the prosecutions took place; if he will list the defendents in each case; if he will publish details of the verdicts and penalties awarded in each case; if he is satisfied that there is no widespread evasion of the tachograph regulations; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mrs. ChalkerSince the use of tachographs was made compulsory in 1982, more than 400 prosecutions have been brought by the Department for misuse of the tachograph itself. Separate figures are not kept of prosecutions for falsification of tachograph records, or of prosecutions by the police.
Details of where prosecutions took place, names of defendants, and verdicts and penalties awarded are not held centrally and cannot be provided at reasonable cost.
332W║ The 1982 accounts show separately the results for the period before and after 1 August, the date the Corporation unstream business was stransferred to Britoil prior to privatisation later in the year. The results attributable to the upstream business are included in the accounts for the period to 31 July, but excluded from those for the remainder of the year. ¶—As part of a financial restructuring to terminate its link with the National Oil Account the Corporation was provided with capital reserves of £30 million with effect from 31 December 1982.
Electricity Supply Industry £ million Year Income Expenditure *Profit/(loss) 1973–74 1,982 2,168 (186) 1974–75 2,656 2,924 (268) 1975–76 3,496 3,487 9 1976–77 4,143 3,936 207 1977–78 4,779 4,646 133 1978–79 5,445 5,194 251 1979–80 6,171 6,134 37 1980–81† 7,511 7,783 (272) 1981–82 8,471 8,556 (85) 1982–83 9,187 8,855 332 Source: Electricity Council Annual Report 1982–83.
* After interest (no tax period during period 1973–74 to 1982–83).
† From 1980–81 current cost accounting basis.
There have been no Government subsidies made to the Electricity supply industry in this period.
Most firms in the goods and passenger road transport industries are well aware of the regulations on drivers' hours and use of the tachograph. My Department is, however, increasing the number of checks carried out by traffic examiners on tachograph records both at the roadside and at operators' premises, and we have introduced a computerised system for analysing the records in each of the traffic area offices.